Electric air heater



H. H. DALEY Nov. 3 1925.

ELECTRIC AIR HEATER Filed May 5. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l /NVENTOIZ HARRYH. QHLEY. YM ma /W @@@Qmmmmm @@Qmmmmm mmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm @@@mmmmmm@Qmmmmmmm mmmmmmmm mmmmmm@ /46'0 ATToeNE vs.

Nov. 3 1925- 1,560,377

H4 H. DALEY ELECTRIC AIR HEATER Filed May b. 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2F'll5-5.

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NVENTOE HNRRY H. MLEV.

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Patented Nov. 3, 1925.

UNITED STATES HARRY H. D ALE'Y, 0F SAN FRANCISCO, CALH'ORNIA.

ELFETRIC AIB HEATER.

Application led Kay 5,

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY H. DALEY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the cit and county of San F rancisoo, State of California,have invented a certain new `and useful Electric Air Heater, of whichthe following is a specification.

The invention relates to heaters energized by the consumption ofelectric current to heat the air in a room or apartment.

An object of the invention is to provide an electric air heater, whichnot only heats the air in a room, but causes a supply of fresh air to beintroduced into the room.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electric air heaterwhich may be used to heat the air within the room or to heat a freshsupply of air being introduced into the room.

A further obiect of the invention is to provide an air heating systemcomprising a fuel burning furnace in which air 1s heated and from whichit is conducted to the room in combination with an electric heaterarranged in the conduit extending from the furnace to the room, -so thatthe room may be heated either by the consumption of fuel or by theconsumption of electrical energy and so that the heating of the room maybe accomplished with or without the introduction of fresh air into theroom. v Another object of the invention is to provide an electric airheater which is positioned below the floor of the room, so that long,vertically disposed flues may be provided, through which a draft of airis induced by the heat derived from the heating unit.

The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which withthe foregoing, Will be set forth at length in the following descriptionwhere I shall outline in full that form of my invention which I haveselected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming partof the present specification. In said drawings I have shown two forms ofheaters embodying my invention, but it is to be understood that I do notlimit myself to such forms, since the invention, as set forth in theclaims, may-be embodied in a plurality of other forms.

Referring to said drawings:

Figure 1 is a vertical, longitudinal section through one type of floorheater embodying mv invention.

Figure 2 is a cross section taken on the line 2 2 Figure 1.

1924. Serial N0. 711,122.

Figure 3 is a vertical section through a wall type heater.

Figure 4 is a diagrammatic representation of the combined electricheater and fuel combustion heater forming the heating system of myinvention.

The heater of my invention may be embodied in a floor heater or a walltype heater. In a floor heater, the heating units are arranged in ashell below the floor and the floor is provided with an overlying grillethrough which the heated air ascends into the room. In the wall t peheater, the grille is arranged in the wa l at or adjacent the floor andthe air heated by the heating unit passes into the room through thegrille.

One of the features of the heater of my invention is the provision ofmeans for introducing fresh air from the outside atmoslphere into theheater shell so that, when the eater is in operation, warmed, fresh airis continually being brought into the room. The majority of electricheaters merely serve to circulate and warm the airwhich is already inthe room, thus causing the room to become close and stuffy, Whereas withthe heater of my invention, fresh air is being continually introducedinto the room. I prefer to arrange a damper or other control meansbetween the heating unit and the conduit through which air is suppliedto the unit, so that the heater may be used either to circulate and heatthe air within the room or to induce a supply of warm, fresh air intothe room. The conduit through which the air is supplied to the electricheater, may be the distributing conduit, or one of the distributingconduits, for the fuel burning furnace, so that one conduit may serve todistribute the heated air from the furnace and also to supply fresh airto the electric heater. It is not believed that it will be advisable tooperate the furnace and the heater at the same time but the conduit willserve as a means of either distributing the heated air from the furnaceor supplying the electric heater with fresh air.

The heater shown in Figures 1 and 2, which is a ioor ty e heater,comprises an outer shell 2 prefera ly made of sheet metal, which issupported below the level of the Hoor 3. The shell is closed at the topby a grille 4, the upper surface of which is flush with the surface ofthe loor. Opening into the outer shell, adjacent the bottom thereof, isa conduit 5 which is connected either directly to the external air orwhich connects to the outside of the house through the air heatingfurnace. Arranged within the outer shell is an inner shell having sidewalls 6 which are spaced away from the side walls of the outer shell, toprovide a heat insulating air chamber. The bottom of the inner shell 6is open to permit the ready passage of air from the outer shell to theinner shell. In the present construction, the bottom consists of aplurality of parallel metallic strips 7, which are spaced apart topermit the passage of air. Mounted on the bottom of the inner shell area plurality of vertically disposed tubes or muiles 8 which are open atthe top and bottom to permit the passage of air therethrough. Arrangedon each mule is a heating element 9, the mulie being preferably made ofrefractory material to withstand the temperature of the heating element.The muille and the heating element arranged thereon constitute theheating unit. The muflle 8 is preferably provided with a wedge shapedupper edge 12 so that dust and other particles falling through thegrille will not lodge on the muiile but will be directed through to theouter shell. Surrounding each muflle are twocylindrical lues 13 and 14,open at the to and bottom to permit the circulation o air through thespaces between the inner flue 13 and the mulie and between the two lues13 and 14. The heat generated in the heating element 9, causes a draughtof air upward through the vertically disposed mulle 8 and also a draughtof air upward through the annular space between the mufe and the innerflue 13. This inner flue 13 will become heated and will induce a draughtof air through the annular space between the lues 13 and 14, thuscausing the movement of relatively large amounts of air through theheater, so that the air is not raised to a deleteriously hightemperature. The flues 13 and 14 may be made of metal or of refractorymaterial or of any other suitable material.

In Fi re 3 I have shown my invention as embo ied 'n a wall type heater.In this heater the grille 24 is disposed in the wall 25 adjacent thefloor 3. Arranged in the wall and extending downward below the level ofthe floor 3 is an outer shell 22 which opens into the room through thegrille 4. Opening into the outer shell at the bottom thereof is aconduit 5 which may extend directly to the outside air or to the outsideair through the fuel burnin furnace. Means are provided for controlllngthe admission of air into the shell through the conduit 5, this meanscomprising a damper 28 suitably connected to a control button 29arranged 1n the wall adjacent the grille. By moving the button 29, thedamper may be closed or opened or arranged in any desired adjustedposition. Disposed within the oter shell 22 is an inner shell havingside walls 26 which are spaced from the side walls of the outer shell toform an air insulation chamber. The bottom of the inner shell comprisesa plurality of spaced strips 27 and mounted on the bottom is avertically disposed hollow muflle 31 on which is arranged a heatingelement 32. Surrounding and spaced from the muiile 31 is an open endedflue 33 of metal or refractory material which is spaced from the flueand from the side walls of the inner shell. The heat produced in theheating element 32 causes a draught of air upward through the mule 31and upward through the annular space between the mulle and the flue 33.When the damper 28 is open, there is also an upward flow of air throughthe space between the side walls 26 and the flue 33 and this air isslightly warmed due to the heat imparted to the flue by radiation by theheating element. When desired, the damper 28 may be closed and thesupply of fresh air to the shell cut ofi. The heat of the heatingelement 32 will cause a draught of air upward through the muiile andthrough the flue 33 and this air is supplied from the room and passesdownward in the space between the flue 33 and the shell and then passesupward through the flue and the muiHe. In this way, the heater may beused to circulate and heat the air in the room or to heat and induce asupply of fresh air into the room.

By extending the shell 22 downward below the level of the floor, I amenabled to use a long muile and long flue, without employing a largerille, so that I obtain the draught effect oir the long muille and fluewith the advantageous circulation of air caused thereby. The outer shell22 is disposed between the joists of the Hoor and occupies room which atthe present time is unoccupied in substantially all building structures.

In Figure 4 I have shown the air conduit 5 extending from the fuelburning furnace 34 to the shell 22. Fresh air is introduced into theheating chamber of the furnace through the conduit 35, which usuallyextends to a point outside of the house and such cold air enters throughthe conduit 35 and passes through the furnace, wherein it is eitherwarmed or not, depending on whether or not the furnace is in o eration,and thence passes through the con uit 5 to the shell 22 whence itdischarges into the room. When a quick heat is desired the fuel burningfurnace and the electric heater may be operated simultaneously, butordinarily only one of the heating devices will be operated at one time.

I claim:

1. In an electric air heater, a shell openlng into the room to beheated, an electric heating unit in said shell, a vertically disposedilue open at the top and bottom surrounding the heatin unit and spacedfrom ythe unit and the wa ls of the shell whereby ing element on saidtube, a vertically disposed tube open at the top and bottom snrroundingthe tube and spaced from the tube and the walls of the shell and an airsupply conduit connecting the shell with the atmosphere external to theroom.

3. In an electric heater, a shell opening into the room to be heated, avertically disposed tube open at the top and bottom disposed within saidshell, an electric heating element on said tube, a vertically disposedflue open at the top and bottom surrounding the tube and spaced from thetube and the walls of the shell, an air supply conduit `connecting theshell with the atmosphere external to the room and a damper forcontrolling the fiow of air through said conduit.

4. In an electric air heater, an outer shell, an inner shell spaced fromthe outer shell and opening into the room to be heated, a verticallydisposed open ended tube disposed in the inner shell, a heating elementon said tube, a vertically disposed ue surrounding and spaced from thetube and spaced from the walls of the inner shell, means for supplyingair from a source external to the room to the innervshell and means forcontrolling the supply of air to the inner shell.

5. In an electric air heater adapted to heat the air in a room, a grillearranged in the wall of the room at the floor, a shell disposed behindsaid grille extendin above and extending downward below the evel of the.

floor, an electric heating unit arranged in the downwardly extendingportion of the shell, and means for passing a1r upwardly through saidshell.

6. In an electric air heater adapted to heat the air in a room, a grillearranged in the wall of the room at the floor, a shell disposed behindsaid grille and extending downward below the level of the floor, avertically disposed open ended tube arranged in the downwardly extendingportion of the shell, a heating element on sald tube, a verticallydisposed open ended lue surrounding and spaced from the tube, and an airconduit connected to the bottom of said shell.

7 In an air .heating system for a room, comprising a fuel burningfurnace, a conduit for conducting the heated air from the furnace to theroom, and an electric heater in said conduit adjacent its inlet to theroom.)

8. An air heating system for a room comprising a fuel burning furnaceada ted to receive and heat external air, a con uit for conducting theheated air to the room, an electric heater in said conduit adjacent itsinlet to the room and means for controlling the flow of air'through theconduit to the electric heater.

9. An air heating system for a room, comprising a shell opening into theroom, an electric heating unit in said shell, a fuel burning furnaceadapted to heat air and a conduit connecting the furnace with the shell.Y

10. An air heating system for a room, comprising a shell opening intothe room, an electric heating unit in said shell, a fuel burning furnaceadapted to heat air, a conduit connecting the furnace with the shell anda damper for controlling the flow of air from the conduit into theshell.

11. An air heating system for a room, comprising a shell opening intothe room, an electric hea-tin unit arranged in the shell, a verticallyisposed flue surrounding and spaced from the heating unit and spacedfrom the walls of the shell, whereby air may circulate within the shellpast the heating unit, a fuel burning furnace adapted to heat air, aconduit connecting the furnace with the shell and a damper forcontrolling the flow of air from the conduit into the shell. f

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

HARRY H. DALEY.

